Patrick J. Adams and Meghan Markle Eye "Suits" Exit Ahead of Likely Season 8
by Lesley Goldberg
Nov. 13, 2017


Some very big changes are coming for USA Network's "Suits".

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the NBCUniversal-owned cable network is close to a deal to renew "Suits" for an eighth season as stars Patrick J. Adams and Meghan Markle plot their exit from the Aaron Korsh-created series.

Reps for Adams, Markle, USA Network and producers Universal Cable Productions all declined comment.





Adams has been with the series for all seven seasons and recently started directing episodes of the legal procedural, the last remaining drama from USA Network's "Blue Skies" brand (before the cabler went darker after the success of Mr. Robot). Adams earned a SAG Award nomination for his role as likeable bad-boy lawyer Mike Ross.

Sources note he is looking to pursue other creative avenues beyond Suits. He has been in contract talks for months but now appears poised to exit. Sources note that should Adams indeed exit "Suits" as a series regular, the door will remain open for him to potentially return in season eight in a guest or recurring capacity (as well as potentially directing).

"Suits" did the same with Gina Torres, who exited the show midway through season six but returned for that season's finale and is returning for the season seven finale — which is being eyed as a potential spin-off revolving around the actress' Jessica Pearson character.





Markle co-stars as Rachel Zane, a paralegal-turned-lawyer at the show's law firm who is engaged to marry Adams' Mike. Speculation about Adams and Markle's exits resurfaced over the weekend as the duo were spotted on the show's Toronto set filming a wedding scene.

Speculation that Markle, an avid philanthropist who has also been with "Suits" since its start, could exit "Suits" started almost immediately after she started dating Prince Harry in 2016. Her departure opens the door for a potential royal wedding, which has been wildly speculated since Markle met Queen Elizabeth.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/suits-patrick-j-adams-meghan-markle-eye-exit-season-8-1057592

I understood that the soon to be Princess would be leaving. But Mike? He IS Suits !!!

I understood that the soon to be Princess would be leaving. But Mike? He IS Suits !!!

The real reason Meghan Markle quit Suits (http://www.nickiswift.com/95911/real-reason-meghan-markle-quit-suits/)

The real reason Meghan Markle quit Suits (http://www.nickiswift.com/95911/real-reason-meghan-markle-quit-suits/)

Wow. I did not know all that. thank you !!!

The real reason Meghan Markle quit Suits (http://www.nickiswift.com/95911/real-reason-meghan-markle-quit-suits/)

Long story short: Meghan Markle is going to become the new Grace Kelly.

Grace Kelly had to quit her acting career after just six years to marry Prince Rainier III of Monaco and begin her duties as Princess Consort of Monaco to Rainier III.

Meghan Markle Officially Leaves "Suits"
by Denise Petski
Nov. 28, 2017


USA Network has made it official. Meghan Markle will leave popular legal drama "Suits" at the end of Season 7. USA and Universal Cable Productions, which co-produce "Suits", released a statement Tuesday, one day after Markle and Prince Harry announced their engagement.

“From all of us at USA Network and Universal Cable Productions, we want to send our most heartfelt congratulations to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on their engagement. Meghan has been a member of our family for seven years and it has been a joy to work with her. We want to thank her for her undeniable passion and dedication to Suits, and we wish her the very best.”

http://deadline.com/2017/11/meghan-markle-officially-leaving-suits-after-season-7-usa-network-1202216173/

Suits creator says he “took a gamble” in deciding to write Meghan Markle off the show one year ago (http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-42164798)
"I knew from a year ago that this relationship was burgeoning,” Aaron Korsh said on British radio. “And I had a decision to make because I didn't want to intrude and ask her, 'hey what's going on and what are you going to do?.” He adds: “What we decided to do (was to) say, 'look, I would rather have good things happen to Meghan in her life' - which would likely mean her leaving the show. So let's plan on that and it's much easier to undo that, if it came to it, than to just plan on her staying forever and then finding out she's going to go.”

Suits creator talks Patrick J. Adams' exit and predicting that Meghan Markle would likely leave (http://variety.com/2018/tv/features/suits-season-7-patrick-j-adams-meghan-markle-spinoff-interview-1202731635/)
"We didn’t have to change things last minute because I made a decision early on — I don’t remember exactly when in the season, but Meghan’s relationship looked like it was going well," says Aaron Korsh. "And if that was the case, I guessed that if she married a prince that she wasn’t going to stay on the show. So we decided, in our hearts, to bank on her finding love and kind of having a fairy tale ending in her own life and assuming that good things were going to happen for her. Plus it would be easier to undo a decision to write her off than it would be to at the last minute have to make her leave. She would have to get hit by a bus or something, and I didn’t want to do that. So, as the year progressed we were assuming Meghan was going to go. And Patrick, when he came to his decision to leave, he knew we needed some lead time and that sticking us with that at the last minute would really put us in a jam. So he came to me early enough that we had plenty of time to design the back six around knowing that they were both leaving." ALSO: Korsh says Season 7's first three episodes contain some of "the funniest stuff we've ever done." (http://www.tvguide.com/news/suits-season-7-mid-season-preview-mike-rachel-exit/)